Illegal parking in cycle lanes - name and shame

Jamopy

Harry_Flashman wrote: »

I'm not ignorant. I simply believe that cyclists are a nuisance on the roads who refuse to pay their way but have an over-developed sense of their own entitlement.

You have to be trolling. Probably the first half of this thread was devoted to pointing out the idiocy of claiming drivers pay for the roads. They are paid for by council tax.

gadgetmind

Harry_Flashman wrote: »

I'm an HGV driver by profession

I'm now starting to understand why HGVs are involved in as many collisions as they are.

I'm not ignorant. I simply believe that cyclists are a nuisance on the roads who refuse to pay their way

Sorry, but when you use the roads, you have to play nicely with all other road users. As for paying their way, cyclists pay exactly the right amount of VED for their CO2 band.

I also pay VED for a couple of cars, but use a cycle for local trips, as do many cyclists. I also know some HGV drivers who cycle. Perhaps you could give it a go?

Anyway, you may like to know that my videos of buses and HGVs being driven in an inconsiderate and/or unskilled way have resulted in two drivers being prosecuted, a fair few sent for retraining, and at least one being dismissed by their employers.

Huge numbers of cyclists are now riding with camera on their helmets and a video of your bad driving could be dropping onto the desk of your employer and/or local plod right now.

What you think of cyclists, or any other road user for that matter, doesn't matter one jot. That you drive safely and considerately is vitally important.

Why not at least try?

Marco_Panettone

Harry_Flashman wrote: »

I'm an HGV driver by profession

I'm not ignorant. I simply believe that cyclists are a nuisance on the roads who refuse to pay their way but have an over-developed sense of their own entitlement.

I'm more than happy to pay my way for cycling on the roads.

I've checked direct.gov.uk/taxdisc and can't find the price. If you can show me how I pay, and how much it is I'll happily cover the cost for your VED next year for all of your vehicles. If you can't I expect you to cover mine for all my vehicles.

Fair?

interstellaflyer

custardy wrote: »

were you able to enter the opposite lane?

Yes, but I couldn't have left a safe gap between me and the cyclists, when I did my cycling proficientcy test we were encouraged to go to single file if a faster moving vehicle wished to get past, of course all that common courtesy goes out the window the moment you put on lycra cycle wear.

gadgetmind

interstellaflyer wrote: »

of course all that common courtesy goes out the window the moment you put on lycra cycle wear.

Perhaps you'd like to explain that statement? Use as much detail as you think is required.

Harry_Flashman

Jamopy wrote: »

You have to be trolling. Probably the first half of this thread was devoted to pointing out the idiocy of claiming drivers pay for the roads. They are paid for by council tax.

Hopefully for the final time.

No-one is claiming that road tax is used to build or maintain roads.

Similarly, I hope no-one is stupid enough to claim that the amount of road tax paid is directly affected by the amount of pollution a vehicle supposedly creates (I drive a big 4x4 that, because of anomalies in the road tax system, actually costs far less to tax than the far smaller and cleaner car I had before).

My point is simply this. In order to legally put my vehicle on the road, I have to have passed a government exam, I have to pay a tax first (and display an ugly governmental sign that says I have done so) and I have to have paid for extortionately expensive insurance. If I have two vehicles, I have to pay these amounts twice, etc, etc. A cyclist neither has to pass an exam nor has to pay these charges for their machine.

Therefore, to my mind, a paying road user has far more right to be there than a non-paying road user and the non-paying road user should be the one to wait, get out of the way, or whatever else in order to keep themselves safe while those who pay their way have as smooth and unimpeded a journey as possible.

I realise that cyclists will not agree with this (I suppose I wouldn't if I was getting use of the road for free), but this is my view.

And, Gadgetmind, I recognise many of the roads on your videos (in which you're so fond of giving advice to those who have passed a driving test), if we haven't already crossed swords, it may well be that we do in the future - only I won't be prepared to listen to your sanctimonious drivel so don't bother blowing your puny horn or telling me to stop.

custardy

interstellaflyer wrote: »

Yes, but I couldn't have left a safe gap between me and the cyclists, when I did my cycling proficientcy test we were encouraged to go to single file if a faster moving vehicle wished to get past, of course all that common courtesy goes out the window the moment you put on lycra cycle wear.

oh really?

Harry_Flashman

Have a look on youtube for a particular loon called 'Magnatom' - amazing he's lived this long really, but he is useful to demonstrate much of what's wrong with some cyclists.

gadgetmind

Harry_Flashman wrote: »

Therefore, to my mind, a paying road user has far more right to be there than a non-paying road user

Hopefully for the final time ...

1) Cyclists are paying road users because, a) The roads are paid for from general taxation and council tax. b) Cyclists pay the correct VED for their CO2 band, c) The majority of cyclists also drive.
2) You're wrong. It isn't down to "your mind" to decide has "more right" to be there but the law of the land. The law doesn't agree with you, not one jot, and neither do the vast majority of people in this country.

I realise that cyclists will not agree with this (I suppose I wouldn't if I was getting use of the road for free), but this is my view.

1) Cyclists don't get use of the road for free.
2) Your view is demonstrably wrong.

And, Gadgetmind, I recognise many of the roads on your videos

That's actually good news. Not only do I have a video camera but so do *dozens* of cyclists in Leeds.

don't bother blowing your puny horn or telling me to stop.

It's 120db so *far* from puny, and not only will I tell you to stop, but so will the law of the land.

The Police *love* "failing to stop" as it's an absolute. Once they know there is video showing someone ranting and raving (and thus showing they knew they'd been involved in an accident) a prosecution is very straighforwards.

How many of those can the average licence and insurance company take?

Tell me what you drive and I'll pass it on to make sure that you're given special monitoring as it sounds like you need it.

Strider590

Harry_Flashman wrote: »

Therefore, to my mind, a paying road user has far more right to be there than a non-paying road user and the non-paying road user should be the one to wait, get out of the way, or whatever else in order to keep themselves safe while those who pay their way have as smooth and unimpeded a journey as possible.

And that's exactly why Winston Churchill had it (road tax) abolished..... He foresaw that it would allow one group of road users to wrongly assume ownership of the roads.